The Little Wedding Co. Specializes in Quick, Budget-Friendly Weddings

The Little Wedding Co. is a queer, BIPOC, and female-owned business based in Minneapolis that specializes in granting couples special weddings for a fraction of the cost as traditional ceremonies. Lavender Magazine spoke with one of the co-owners/co-coordinators, Symone Clay, about her involvement with the company.

“It started about a year before the pandemic took place. The idea came from my wedding since I had a very micro, small wedding. I had been to weddings beforehand, I have planned weddings, and I’m an event coordinator within the community,” Clay shared. “I’ve done multiple events and big weddings, traditional weddings, and I’ve heard, feedback from guests everywhere saying that weddings are too long and drawn out. I didn’t want that for my own wedding.”

Clay brainstormed ideas for an alternative wedding source with her business partner, Jamie Grays. Together, they formulated an idea to combat traditional wedding regulations and requirements. Their answer? The Little Wedding Co. a different kind of wedding option that reduces ceremony time and limits invited guests. This way, couples save money, reduce stress, and maximize their experience.

Packages

The Little Wedding Co. offers two packages for couples. For a quicker ceremony, the elopement package includes accommodations for up to 16 guests, an officiant, a champagne toast, a photographer, background music, a mini cake, and little bites. The wedding lasts one hour and costs $2,650. Clay said The Little Wedding Co. prides itself on not having any hidden fees.

The other choice, and the most popular option, is The Little Wedding package. The two-hour option accommodates up to 30 guests, an officiant, a ceremony, a photographer, music, an online guestbook, and floral embellishments.

Clay said couples can upgrade to an add-on option for The Little Wedding. The add-on permits pairs to invite up to 50 guests and indulge in a cocktail hour with extended ceremony time, a dance floor, an open bar, and a nacho bar, a mac-n-cheese bar, or a potato bar.

The Little Wedding option costs $4650, and the add-on is $2250. That means a full-blown celebration through The Little Wedding Co costs $6900 as opposed to ceremonies ranging between the $30,000 and $50,000 that couples dole out each year.

“I love The Little Wedding. I feel like it gives the couple kind of a bigger, more bang for their buck, and I love it when the couples do purchase add-ons because that has the DJ there to curate their favorite songs. So they’re dancing, and they’re dancing with family, and they really feel like they’re celebrating.”

A bonus for The Little Wedding package is the recorded live stream. If family or friends cannot attend the live ceremony, they can enjoy the matrimony from home.

“We do offer a live stream that is included in our package, and it does allow for the couple’s family to tune in and watch live. We have yet to have a couple opt out of that option. They really love it. It is a nice add-on, especially since the weddings that we do, obviously, are micro. They’re very small in size, so that kind of gives them the feeling of inviting everyone.”

Importance of Community

The Little Wedding Co. used to have more venues for couples to choose from, but since the pandemic, some of the venues closed or underwent management changes. Now, The Little Wedding Co. works with two distinct locations in Minnesota.

According to Clay, The Little Wedding Co. allows couples to choose between two venues, The Rebel Room in northeast Minneapolis or Lanoire Bridal Loft in downtown St. Paul, for their union.

“We whittled it down to two places that look very different from each other and give a different style for our couples, and they seem to take a good liking to it. One day we would like to have our own space, but until that day, we are working with two wonderful venues in the Twin Cities,” Clay said.

In addition to providing low-cost, minimal-stress ceremonies, Clay said guests choose to wed through The Little Wedding Co. due to the diverse ownership. Since the company is women, queer, and BIPOC-owned, couples seek out wedding ceremonies to show their support and because they feel seen and heard.

“We are happy to be able to have many different assets in our company, and it shows. A lot of couples have come to us just because we are queer-owned, specifically as a couple, themselves, or their kids or their family, or they just want to support. It is very rewarding for us to be able to help the community,” Clay said. “Especially since this option is a less-stressful option than going traditional. Plus, it’s also another option to give couples back their wedding since they are not spending a lot of money on a $30,000 wedding. This route allows for the couples to save and still have a wedding to celebrate their union.”

Clay says her favorite part of the job is “helping and hearing the couples say that it’s been a relief that they’ve gone through with us. Really just making the couple happy and less stressed.”

Advice to Interested Couples

“Choose what is best for you and not for your family. I have learned in this business that family really does have a big influence on our couples and I would say go with what you feel is best for the two of you,” Clay shared. 

To book services or get more information on The Little Wedding Co. and its packages, visit their social media or website: www.thelittleweddingco.com/.